Jalen Duren Determined to Bet On Himself as He is Confident He’ll Get Max Deal With Another Team Come 27-28 Season

· Yahoo Sports

The Detroit Pistons‘ 2026 offseason continues to give off a bad vibe, and at the center of it is Jalen Duren, as both sides have yet to reach an agreement on his contract extension.

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The negotiations continue to drag on. The Pistons said as early as March that they had no plans of letting the 2026 All-Star go. However, things changed somewhat by the time the playoffs arrived.

Duren struggled in the two rounds his team played during the postseason. The Pistons were eventually eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

His desired extension, however, has not changed. The 2022 No. 13 overall pick is reportedly seeking around $40 million annually on his next contract. He has been with the Pistons for four seasons and is at the center of their rebuild. Last season, Detroit secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with Duren and Cade Cunningham leading the way.

Several teams showed interest in Duren, including the Los Angeles Lakers. However, nothing materialized, and the Western Conference giants ultimately went with Walker Kessler.

The latest from the Detroit front office suggests that the team still wants to work with Duren. However, his salary demands remain a major roadblock.

May 17, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0), forward Tobias Harris (12), guard Ausar Thompson (9), guard Cade Cunningham (2) and guard Daniss Jenkins (24) huddle up in the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game seven of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

“The one restricted free agency situation that remains unresolved is Jalen Duren, who the Pistons absolutely positively 100% intend to keep, and made it clear to anybody pursuing him in a sign-and-trade possibility like, you’re wasting your time,” insider Tim MacMahon said.

Takers for Jalen Duren

The young center would still like to remain with the Motor City franchise. However, that might not be for multiple seasons.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer said the 22-year-old star is willing to accept a qualifying offer, but that is not necessarily because he wants to continue playing for the team that drafted him. Instead, he could use it as a stepping stone toward securing a larger contract.

Who could give him that contract? The Sacramento Kings.

“Jalen Duren is emboldened to some degree to potentially take that qualifying offer because he knows the Sacramento Kings have a lot of interest in potentially giving him a maximum salary contract if he were to reach unrestricted free agency,” Fischer said on Bleacher Report.

Jan 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) moves the ball up court in front of Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

The Kings are nowhere near contention right now and are regarded as one of the weaker teams in the Western Conference. They did not have significant signing and let go two of their top scorers from last season.

Their situation could become even more complicated if their starting center, Domantas Sabonis, is indeed seeking a buyout, as has been reported.

That could make a potential move to Sacramento more plausible for Duren.

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